Bar Volpe
Karen Akunowicz is a chef who chose to perfect her craft before she started experimenting with it.
“I think that I look at food through a very traditional lens, but also recognize that it's 2024 so I think it's a modern lens as well. But I think you have to know the rules before you can break them. So really being respectful to culture and tradition, and then saying, okay, and this is how we twist it a little bit here.”
And you can find those modern Italian dishes made with time tested technique at Bar Volpe.
Set on West Broadway in Southie, Bar Volpe is a restaurant showcasing dishes James Beard Award winning chef Karen Akunowicz learned while studying in Italy.
“Bar Volpe is really honoring all of the time that I've spent in the southern regions of Italy, All of my travels that I did while I was living there. It's really exploring the food and the culture of Southern Italy and celebrating that food.”
The space itself is stunning, no matter where you choose to sit.
“When you walk into the restaurant, you see our main bar. It's just a perfect cozy atmosphere. We also have a dining room in our bar area. We have a dining room that overlooks our kitchen, so you have sort of that dinner in the show experience. I think people are really excited to see their food being prepared. And I also think it's awesome for our staff that works in the kitchen. I think it's a really reciprocal feeling that you don't get otherwise.”
And at the center of it all is a glass room where all of the pasta is made right before your eyes.
“I really wanted to be able to not only showcase our pasta makers, but really give people a sense of the work and the dedication that goes into our craft and what we do here. Our pasta is made fresh every single day. We never freeze it. And so whether it's extruded pasta or handmade pasta, we make everything by hand, and everything is fresh.”
There are many options to kick off your meal at Bar Volpe, from their “stuzzichini menu”.
“Our stuttucini menu, we start serving at 4pm every day.. These are bites and snacks to whet your appetite and they are perfect for coming in, having a bite, sharing and just getting your night kicked off.”
There’s classic Italian street food like panzerotti- stuffed with a creamy spinach and artichoke filling and served with sauce for dipping.
“It looks a little bit like a personal calzone, but they are fried instead of baked, and we stuff ours with a spinach and artichoke dip and serve it with a tomato basil sauce on the side. So it's piping hot, the dough is flaky and when you bite into it. It is ooey gooey, hot and delicious.”
Or you can try Bar Volpe’s take on arancini.
“We kind of turn it upside down on its head. We use farro and we stuff it with black truffle and mozzarella, so it's much more toothsome than a regular arancini, and we serve it with Parmigiano Reggiano and orange blossom honey. So a departure from the way that you typically see arancini. But I love this version.”
Seafood lovers will want to try the utra-fresh fritti misti loaded up with shrimp, calamari, fried onions and lemons, topped with a tasty chili oil or the mussels in brodo- a traditional dish made in a not so traditional way.
“It's hard to throw a stone and not hit a bowl of mussels..in an Italian restaurant, but we took a little departure here. So the mussels get cooked with some curry spices and shrimp butter, so it's redolent, it's delicious, and it has all of these spices that you don't typically see in a mussel dish. The mussels are served with our grilled bread that's slathered with a little bit of garlic aioli and topped with lots of Italian parsley. And it is perfect for soaking up the broth.”
There’s the crunchy crostini featuring grilled sourdough topped with whipped ricotta cheese and roasted Campari tomatoes and Bar Volpe’s unique chopped salad.
“Our chopped salad is, I have to say, iconic. It has salumi, it has cacio cavallo cheese, olives. It's topped with crispy fried white beans. This is how I want to start off every meal, and it is definitely a fan favorite.”
Since you know it’s fresh, pasta seems mandatory, with options like orecchiette served in a lamb ragu with broccoli rabe. Or go with the simple but sensational Rigatoni All’Amatriciana.
“Amatriciana is one of the most classic Roman pasta sauces, so we had to showcase it here. Our house made rigatoni is tossed with tomato San Marzano, tomato based sauce that has lots of guanciale and garlic and a little bit of spice in it. And this is a classic. I could eat this every day.”
The truffle roasted chicken is as good as it looks, stuffed with black truffle, slow cooked on the rotisserie and served with potatoes and Swiss chard. And the Sardinian Paella is an entree so big, you’re going to want to share.
“We have in nduja in it tons of seafood. It's smoky, it's spicy, it's fresh. We top it with lots of herbs and aioli. And if you're coming in with a large group, you have to have one on your table.”
And so long as you're twenty one plus, there’s no sweeter way to end your meal at Bar Volpe than with an Adult Affogato.
“It is a salted vanilla soft serve ice cream with an amaro and espresso poured on top. This is absolutely my kind of dessert, and it really takes affogato to the next level.”
And from fresh pasta, to friendly faces, it doesn’t matter why you’re heading out, so long as you head to Bar Volpe.
“I think that Bar Volpe is a place for everybody. Whether you're coming in with your family, you're on a date, you're celebrating. I think this is a place for everybody. The food is delicious, the wine list is superior, and our hospitality can't be matched.”
